Cover or lid fastener



Oct 28, 1.941. c. P. oss-r 2,261,048

COVER 0R LID FASTENER Filed May 16,. 1940 T Y////// W /S//V PatentedOct. 28, 1941 a a Ap'plication May This invention ielate'sto an improvedconstruction' of fastener particularly designed for use on the ends ofegg case-covers for readily securing the cover} on an egg case.

Moreparticularly, it is an aim of this invention to provide an "improvedconstruction of fastener formed from a-strand of wire having hook shapedends adapted to yieldably engage beneath and pierce a bat'te'n'or'cleaton a case or box for detachably securinga cover in position thereon. p IQ More particularly, it is an aim of the invention to provide animproved construction or fastener, formed from a single strand of wire,which is so constructed as to includespring coils formed incorrespondinglegs thereof which cross adjacent their terminals so 'that saidterminals may be retracted by being pressed toward each other andprojected, when released, by the coil springs formed in said legs.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter becomemore fully apparent from the following description of thedrawingjwhichillustrates a preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein: I

Figure l is a bottom-plan View of a cover or lid having a fastenerapplied to each end thereof, constructed inaccordance with theinvention,

Figure 2 is an end view in elevation showing one of the fastenerspositioned to engage a cleat or batten on a box or crate for retaining acover in position thereon,

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantiallyalong the plane of the line 33 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view taken substantiallyalong the plane of the line 4-4 of Figure 1, and

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially along theplane of the line 5--5 of Figure 3.

Referring more particularly .to the drawing, wherein like referencecharacters designate like or corresponding parts throughout thedifferent views, l designates a cover or lid for an egg case and IIdesignates generally a portion of an egg case or other container havingan end wall l2 provided with a batten or cleat I3 on its outer side andextending downwardly from its upper edge. It is to be understood, thatthe opposite end of the case or container II is provided with a similarwall I2 and batten l3, not shown. Cover ID, at its ends, is providedwith the depending reinforcing strips I4 which are adapted 'Figure'3. v1 A strap hanger I5 is secured to the upper side of each end of the"cover lfl'by means of the f5 Claims. crest-(21s) j 1 to rest on theupper edges of end walls |.2Jand cleats 13' in the position, as bestillustrated in portion 21 loosely mounted in a loop I9 and pivotallysupported thereby on" a hanger. l5. Corresponding legs 22 projectsubstantially at right angles from the ends of the intermediate portion2| and are looped to form a pair of inwardly projecting correspondingcoil springs 23. From the coil springs'23, the legs- 22 extendinwardlyand. downwardly past one another with their ends bent downwardly,inwardly and back upon themselves to form the hook shaped-fmmhers 24having the upwardly projecting pointed prongs 25, as best seen in Figure3.- The. pair of loops forming the coil springs'23 are connected bymeans of a link 26 to prevent'the springs'from moving away from oneanother when the ifastener 20 is actuated, as will hereinafter becomemore fully apparent. V .71 Y

It is to be understood that the fasteners 20 at the ends of the coverIn, as illustrated in Figure 1 are identical and for this reason onlyone of the fasteners has been described.

To apply and secure the cover [0 to the case or container II, thefasteners 20 are swung outwardly and away from the cover 10 after whichthe cover is positioned on the case II with the strips l4 resting on theupper edges of the end walls I2 and cleats I3. The fasteners 20 are thenswung downwardly and toward the cleats ,l3 and the pairs of hook shapedportions 24 are pressed inwardly toward leach other thereby causing saidhook shaped portionsto move downwardly so that the prongs may be movedto a position beneath the cleats l3. The pairs of hook shaped portions24 are then released so bers 24 so that the pointed ends of the prongs25 will be retracted and drawn downwardly and out of engagement with thecleats I3 after which the fasteners 20 can be swung outwardly to releasethe cover H].

In Figure 4, one of the fasteners 20 is shown in a folded positionbeneath and substantially parallel to the cover H] with the prongs 25engaging the inner edge of the strip M, the prongs 25 being moved tothis position after the hook shaped portions 24 are compressed orpressed inwardly, as heretofore explained. In this position, the cover Imay be stacked on other similar covers provided with similar fastenings'20 for storage or shipping purposes.

The fastener 20 together with the strap hanger l5 may obviously be usedsingularly on other types of covers for containers such as hinged coverswhere the opposite end is hingedly con nected to the container and inwhich case only a single fastener is required. 7

Various modifications and changes in the construction and arrangement ofthe parts forming the invention are contemplated and may obviously beresorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventionas hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim asmy invention:

1. A cover or lid fastener comprising a fastener having an intermediateportion pivotally connected to a cover, legs projecting from saidintermediate portion and having inwardly turned hook shaped terminalsforming upwardly projecting pointed prongs, said legs being crossedintermediate of their ends, and coil springs formed in the legs of saidfastener and disposed adjacent the intermediate portion and remote tosaid terminals for retaining the prongs in a projected position, saidcoil springs being disposed above the hook shaped terminals, and saidprongs being retractable by drawing the hooked shaped portions inwardlyrelatively to each other.

2. A cover fastener comprising a strap of sheet metal or the likesecured to a cover or lid, a fastener, formed from a single strand ofwire having an intermediate portion pivotally connected to said strapand supported thereby on said lid, legs projecting from the ends of theintermediate portion and having inwardly turned hook shaped terminals,said legs being crossed adjacent their terminals and being looped toform coil springs, disposed adjacent to said intermediate portion foryieldably urging the hook shaped terminals upwardly to a projectedposition, said terminals being retractable by being pressed inwardlyrelatively to each other for positioning said hook shaped ends beneath aprojection on a container, and said springs urging the hook shaped endsupwardly into engagement with said projection for fastening the lid in aclosed position on the container.

3. An attachment for use with a container provided with a batten on itsouter side and with a closure, comprising a fastener formed of a strandof resilient wire having an intermediate portion pivotally connected tosaid closure, said fastener having downwardly and inwardly extendinglegs crossing each other adjacent their terminals, said terminals beinghook shaped, and

, said legs, adjacent said intermediate portion and above the hookshapedends, being looped to form coil springs for yieldablyretaining the hookshaped ends in a projected position, said hook shaped ends beingdisposed beneath said batten for yieldably engaging the undersidethereof to retain the closure ina closed position, and said jacent theirfree ends, said free ends being hook shaped, and said legs, adjacentsaid intermediate portion, being looped to form coil springs .forprojecting said hook shaped ends, said coil springs being disposed abovethe hook shaped ends-said hook shaped ends being adapted to engagebeneatha batten or cleat on a container for retaining the closure inposition thereon, and said hook shaped ends being movable toward eachother for retracting them downwardly and out of engagement with thebatten or cleat to release the closure.

5. A fastener as in' claim 4, said hook shaped ends being turnedinwardly and upwardly relatively to the closure and being provided with.pointed free ends adapted to be embedded in the underside of the cleator batten.

CHARLES P. BOBS'I.

